Microsoft moves to 'replace journalists with robots'

Microsoft is planning to replace journalists in its MSN news website with robots, according to reports.

The journalists to be made redundant curate news articles, headlines and images from across the internet to be displayed on the MSN website.

But in future, this work will be done by artificial intelligence algorithms, the Seattle Times reported.

Around 50 contract journalists are set to lose their jobs at the end of June, while a smaller full-time team will remain, according to the paper.

Microsoft said: "Like all companies, we evaluate our business on a regular basis. This can result in increased investment in some places and, from time to time, redeployment in others. These decisions are not the result of the current pandemic."

Some journalists who have lost their jobs have warned that artificial intelligence may not be appropriate for news-gathering, given the strict editorial guidelines in place at MSN.

Some of the people who will be made redundant are employed by the UK's PA media news agency, the Guardian reported.

One told the paper: “I spend all my time reading about how automation and AI is going to take all our jobs, and here I am – AI has taken my job."